I am so excited that September is finally here and the end of the hot humid and long summer is in sight. I know you are also excited and ready for Fall flowers! However, we must wait a few more weeks until the temperature cools down some, at least at night. In the meantime, here is a list of things you should be doing to get ready for the beautiful fall flowers and gardens!
Prune and Dead-Head: Walk around your flowerbeds and prune all lanky perennials, such as Salvia, Veronica, Cuphea, Lantana, Verbena – any that are looking too tall and skinny – prune them down to half their size. Dead head any old flowers from Rudbeckia, Roses, Stokesia, Agapanthus and other spent blooms you might have in your garden. Discard the clippings – or put them in your compost pile.
Prepare the Garden for Fall Planting: As you know our Clear Lake area soil is mostly clay and gumbo which creates a terrible drainage problem and a PH that is too high for planting. To compensate for this lack of drainage, we raise our beds with wonderful potting soil filled with organic compost; however these beds quickly become compacted and void of nutrients. We recommend adding an organic compost such as Soil Mender -Garden Soil Builder and mixing this in with your potting soil, working it in gently with a fork or cultivator paying attention to your existing plants and their roots. Please use your judgement on how much organic compost and mulch to put around your existing plants. Put enough material to cover bare roots and be careful not to suffocate the plant by building the soil or mulch too high. Soil Mender Garden Soil Builder is a rich blend of aged humus mixed with essential supplements to form a complete soil builder. Adding organic matter helps loosen the soil and improves drainage as it aerates the soil and stimulates microbial activity. I recommend adding an application of this every six months.
Lawn:
If you have some areas that are bald or the grass is not filling in quite well – try spreading half an inch of Soil Mender Turf Soil Builder
(enough to allow the top of your grass blades to show through)
– many of our garden center clients have been thrilled with this product. Always follow the instructions on package. With all the rain we have had you might also have fungus problems on your lawn, apply a fungicide to control the problem we love to use F-stop, again always follow instructions labeled on package carefully.
Organic Fertilizer: At this time of the year, I like to apply an organic fertilizer – such as Hasta Grow (1 gallon) and Superthrive (1/4 teaspoon). I use it on all my roses, perennials and shrubs to help them regain their strength after the hot summer and give them a little boost. I just mix the product according to manufacturer’s instructions and lightly add this mixture to the soil. Another organic fertilizer I love is Holganix, a probiotic-filled tea-based product that contains many naturally occurring living microorganisms that work to restore balance to your soil.
Mulch: Do not forget to add a layer of Mulch after the new organic compost and fertilization is complete; again being careful to not add too much atop the root-balls of your established plants. Please use natural mulch. I am afraid of the new “dyed” mulches – apart from not liking the way they look, I worry about what this chemically dyed mulch is doing to our plants. Mulch is meant to disappear and become organic matter to further help or soil. Mulch keeps plant roots cooler, keeps weed seeds at bay and conserves water. Just make sure you do not apply more than 1″- 2″ of mulch around the base of any established trees and be careful not to apply too much mulch along the foundation of your home.
Pests: At this time of the year leaf minors are active on citrus – you can alternate treatments of Spinosad and Neem Oil to keep them at bay. Hose off insects such as aphids and mealybugs or spray them with insecticidal soap. If you have any other insect/disease questions our garden center staff is always ready to help.
Hummingbirds: These little beauties will start to migrate in September – get your feeders ready. Keep them clean and in a shady area to encourage visitors. Natural nectar sources for hummingbirds include Hamelia, Firespike, Shrimp Planta, Cuphea, Lantana and Turks cap.
Vegetable and Herb Gardens: Clean your garden and remove any herbs and vegetables that are done for the season – such as Parsley. After mixing 2-3 inches of new organic compost with your soil, plant your tomatoes and peppers as this is the best time to get them in the ground. Cool season veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and kale can be planted any time from now to January.
Planters and Urns: I cannot write a blog without mentioning my favorite things. All of you who know me, know that most of the gardens I design include at least one or two urns. I am itching to get my urns all ready for fall – but I must wait —we need the temperatures to cool down just a little bit more. My next blog will be dedicated solely to getting your planters in the Fall mood. Join me next time and let’s get ready for some beautiful Houston weather and Fall-inspired planters. if you have any questions about gardening and design please come see us at the nursery, we are always happy to help! Happy Gardening.
Ciao Mardel
